Dictionary
pat•ois
Pronunciation: (pat'wä, pä'twä; Fr.pa-twa'), [key]—
n.,
—pl. pat•oisPronunciation: (pat'wäz, pä'twäz; Fr.pa-twa'). [key]
1. a regional form of a language, esp. of French, differing from the standard, literary form of the language.
2. a rural or provincial form of speech.
3. jargon; cant; argot.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.